Maple Entertainment Center

Edit: Secret pull out shelves for DVD’s and secret bottom drawers for video game units were built into the fluted columns, so I’m submitting this for the Woodworking Awards Winter 2009 contest – secret compartments category.

This is an entertainment center we decided to build in 2004.

After moving into our current home, we figured we needed a larger TV (the old 27” looked like a postage stamp in the room), which of course necessitated a larger entertainment center. “Well, if I have to build one,” I thought, “it’s gonna be a one time deal.” (never mind that it was my first attempt at building a beast like this in my garage with only a few cheap power tools).

The requirements were to have a space large enough for the 53” standard rear projection TV we had recently purchased, DVD storage room, plus room to grow, and don’t forget the video game systems and other components and air vents to shunt the heat they’d all be kicking out. It also needed to be BIG so that it wouldn’t look dwarfed in the room (22 foot high ceiling), have lights for the knick-knacks that were going to live on the shelves, and match the fluted trim in the room as well as the maple cabinets in the kitchen (or at least be in the ballpark). Finally, it needed to be built in small enough sections that it could be hauled into the house from the garage by my wife and I. UGH!

The end result has been well worth all the effort. It’s got its little errors, but I’m still proud of it. The DVD drawer pull-outs are about 2’ x 5’ and have routed finger grips on the TV side and ball bearing 500# rated glides to allow easy opening. They each hold about 250 DVDs. Additional storage in the bottom drawers was actually an afterthought and each holds about 30 video game discs and 4 controllers.

Nice job Scot. I really shows off your wood skills and makes a great contribution to the room decor.You’ve made a great use of the space availalbe for concealed storage as well.Did you have to allow for ventilation ?

Way cool! Where did you get the accent lighting?Dave: Home Depot! They’re 20W halogens with UV filtered glass and run on 120 V. They sell them in 3 packs and they instal pretty easily. In retrospect, I should have used low voltage lighting instead – the halogen bulbs are spendy to replace (~$4 each bulb).

Did you have to allow for ventilation ?Bob #2: Yes – the component shelves only go back about 18” of the total 24” base cabinet depth, and there is a large V shape (about 4” x the entire width of the cabinet) cut out in the top of the base cabinet to allow warm air to escape. The pasive air circulation method seems to work well enough, though I believe I’d need to add some air holes in the bottom somewhere to allow cool air in if I had a few more components running all the time.

The force was with you on this one…Whiskey: LOL! I grew up with the SW series so I’ve got a few select goodies.